Stanley Lyle Nickel

Message from the President Red Sky at MorningStanley Lyle Nickel BCLS #665 By Chris Cryderman BCLS, President By Robert Allen, BCLS Life Member

Stanley Lyle Nickel, BCLS #665, passed away on November 23, 2019 at Cascades Hospice in Chilliwack after a struggle with complications of diabetes. He was born in Chilliwack on August 31, 1951 to Alvin (deceased) and Florence Nickel and was the oldest of five children.

Stan began his surveying career with the Department of Highways, working in their Construction Survey Branch and then with McElhanney from 1970 to 1984 doing legal surveys, topographical surveys, and some overseas work. On May 23, 1980, Stan entered articles under Jerry Ward, BCLS #511, and received his commission on September 20, 1985. Shortly afterwards, he opened his own office in Chilliwack as Stan Nickel Land Surveying and ran a successful business until his retirement in 2011.

Stan articled Robert Neels, BCLS #715 and Spencer Hagen, BCLS #915. He was awarded the Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015 and he was extremely proud of that award which he hung on his wall wherever he was living. Stan’s studies never stopped and he became Canada Lands Surveyor #1408 on April 25, 1991 and he continued with his self-study education on numerous other subjects.

Stan is remembered with love by Helen, son Eric (Peggy), daughter Christel, son Sheldon, and his beloved grandchildren, Hailey, Bowden, Tyson, and Ryder, and his mother, Florence as well as his brothers Robin, Lynn (Elaine); sisters Diane, Dalyce (Murray); brother-in-law Henry; as well as his nieces and nephews, extended family, and many cherished friends including many British Columbia Land Surveyors.

Stan and I were both going though health issues at the same time. We talked on the phone about once a week and he often told me how proud he was of his family, especially his grandchildren. He always enjoyed their hockey games and speaking to the team members at their games.

My first connection with Stan was in April 1985 when the Board members interviewed all those students writing their professional exams. I had only been on the Board for three months, so this was all new to me. Of all those that we interviewed over the years, Stan is the one that I remember the most. He was so positive and upbeat and he told a story of climbing up a hill with a shovel in hand and told to ‘dig here’ and he did and there was the iron post they were looking for. It was like magic and he was hooked; he wanted to become a Land Surveyor, and he did!

A few years later Stan was on the Business Practices Committee and the Committee had come up with information they wanted presented to all the groups around the province and Stan went to each regional group meeting from Prince George, to

Cranbrook, to Kamloops, to Vancouver and to Nanaimo; all on his motorcycle to make the presentation and to make sure everyone got the same information – that was dedication!

I forget the year, but it was in the early 1990s that Stan and I organized a CLS seminar and among other things, Stan arranged for the use of the Seabird Island Band Hall. While still working, I don’t think Stan missed any Annual General Meetings or Lower Mainland Group Meetings and he always provided good input at each meeting. Once the OIP lunches started, Stan was there as well. He, like the rest of us, enjoyed those social gatherings – they weren’t always work. Stan was very involved with the Chilliwack Rotary Club and served that Club in many capacities. He talked to me about his involvement with them nearly every time we talked.

About ten years ago, I pulled into McDonalds in Hope, and I just happened to park beside Stan’s truck. I looked for him inside, but he wasn’t there, so I grabbed my lunch and went back to my truck and there was Stan sitting on his tailgate waiting for me to come out. I sat on my tailgate and we soon solved all the problems of the world. A chance meeting but a good one to get caught up without a bunch of others around to worry about.

Another group that Stan was very proud of was the Surveyors on Bikes (SOB). Stan was a charter member of that Group and it has members from across Western Canada and into the United States as well. They get together at least once a year as a group and ride to a location with a surveying history and while Stan couldn’t ride for the last few years, he liked to be involved in the organization of the rides if he could. Stan also joined the local Harley Owners Group (HOG) and organized a Motorbike Inter Club Fellowship with Rotary.

Stan dedicated his working career to advancing surveying practices and his chosen profession. As noted above, he started surveying as early as 18 years old before accepting a more permanent role with McElhanney at age 19. His interest and dedication to learning the practice resulted in his selection for “two tours” in Saudi Arabia to survey the country’s telecommunications project. He was also trained for the very early use of GPS technology for a mapping project in Indonesia and he was selected for a Northwest Territories large mineral claim survey.

Stan formed his own surveying practice in Chilliwack in the fall of

1985 shortly after becoming a British Columbia Land Surveyor, and he ran that practice until his retirement in 2011. His enjoyment of the profession was recognized in discussions with friends and family in which he often shared the following “How lucky was I to happen upon a job that truly fascinated and entertained me?”

During his career, Stan proudly participated in many groups and had many accomplishments, including:

Association of BC Land Surveyors: y published business practices bulletins y supported the creation of the

Practice Advisory Department y member of Practice Standards

Committee, Chair of the

Business Practices Committee, member of the Practice

Advisory Panel y received the G.S. Andrews

Award for lifetime achievement and outstanding service to his profession in 2015 Association of Canada Land Surveyors: y Chair of the Aboriginal Liaison

Committee y Regional coordinator for BC Chilliwack and District Home Builders Association: y served as Secretary, board member, Vice President, and in 1992/93 became the first nonbuilder President y won the Gold Georgie Award presented by the BC Minister of Housing and the Maple Leaf

Award (for outstanding non builder member) for developing the Modified Approvals Process

Agreement with District of

Chilliwack and New Home

Warranty Program Rotary – Chaired and Vice Chaired various committees

With Stan’s passing, his family sought to have his legacy memorialized by having his final resting place registered as a “monument”, complete with latitude, longitude and elevation. With the help and support of his friends and colleagues, including Harrington Industries who supplied the survey monument, Jamie Enders, BCLS, and Bert Hol, BCLS, CLS, a survey monument bearing his name and British Columbia Land Surveyor number (665) and his Canada Lands Surveyor number (1408) has been installed in his headstone and its location has now been surveyed and registered in the Land Title Office.

The family can now hear their Dad laughing with delight with the knowledge that his monument could now serve as a “turning point” in a legal survey. The family would like to thank everyone for all their love and support with the note that it truly helps heal the heart and also with all the support for the vision for their Dad’s legacy to the surveying community!

Stanley Lyle Nickel will be sadly missed by all of us. May you rest in peace my good friend. ✥

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